US8880048B1 - Method and apparatus for managing calls for call-related calendar entries stored on a device - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for managing calls for call-related calendar entries stored on a device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US8880048B1 US8880048B1 US12/414,226 US41422609A US8880048B1 US 8880048 B1 US8880048 B1 US 8880048B1 US 41422609 A US41422609 A US 41422609A US 8880048 B1 US8880048 B1 US 8880048B1
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- Prior art keywords
- call
- telephone
- related calendar
- invocator
- calendar entries
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M7/00—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
- H04M7/0024—Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services
- H04M7/003—Click to dial services
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2203/00—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
- H04M2203/20—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges related to features of supplementary services
- H04M2203/2072—Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to communication devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to managing calls for call-related calendar entries stored on a device.
- PIM personal information manager
- the PIM typically allows the user to input appointments, which are tracked and shown on the calendar.
- the PIM allows the user to input various information associated with the appointment, such as the time, the subject, the participants, comments, telephone numbers, contacts, and the like.
- the PIM also typically provides a reminder function, where a visual and/or audible reminder is presented to the user for each upcoming appointment.
- a user has a conference call scheduled at a particular time and the user's calendar includes the necessary dial-in information.
- the PIM generates a reminder for the conference call.
- the user looks-up the dial-in information and dials the number to connect to conference, often using the same device that contains the calendar and that just delivered the reminder for the conference call.
- This technique requires the user to obtain the dial-in number and manually enter the number in to the device to make the call. Further, the user may have to manually enter one or more meeting identifiers before being connected to the correct conference.
- a user may have to constantly switch back and forth between the calendar application and a dialing application in order to input the dial-in number and/or meeting identifier numbers to join the conference.
- calendar entries stored in the device are parsed to detect call-related calendar entries.
- a telephone number associated with each of the call-related calendar entries is extracted.
- An invocator is provided in the device that is configured to cause the device to dial the telephone number associated with a first call-related calendar entry of the call-related calendar entries that is within a temporal threshold of a current time maintained by the device.
- the apparatus includes: a memory configured to store a calendar database having calendar entries; a telephone module configured to make calls over a network; and a processor, coupled to the memory and the telephone module, configured to: parse the calendar entries in the calendar database to detect call-related calendar entries; extract a telephone number associated with each of the call-related calendar entries; and generate an invocator configured to cause the telephone module to dial the telephone number associated with a first call-related calendar entry of the call-related calendar entries that is within a temporal threshold of a current time maintained by the device.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a communication device according to some embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting a method for managing a call from a device according to some embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a communication device 100 according to some embodiments of the invention.
- the communication device 100 generally includes a processor 102 , a memory 104 , various support circuits 106 , and a telephone module 110 .
- the processor 102 may include one or more microprocessors known in the art.
- the support circuits 106 for the processor 102 include conventional cache, power supplies, clock circuits, data registers, I/O interfaces, and the like.
- the telephone module 110 is configured to make telephone calls (“calls”) over a network 150 .
- the memory 116 may include one or more of the following random access memory, read only memory, magneto-resistive read/write memory, optical read/write memory, cache memory, magnetic read/write memory, and the like.
- the communication device 100 is shown logically and may have a various physical implementations.
- the communication device 100 includes a display 114 and speaker/microphone circuitry 112 coupled to the processor 102 .
- the communication device 100 may be implemented as a wireless telephone device (e.g., a “smart phone”), a personal digital assistant (PDA), notebook computer, or the like.
- the communication device 100 includes an input/output (I/O) interface 108 coupled the processor 102 .
- the I/O interface 108 is configured to couple the communication device 100 to various input/output devices, such as the display 114 and the speaker/microphone circuitry 112 .
- the communication device may be implemented as a computer coupled to a display and a speaker/microphone circuitry.
- the communication device 100 may be configured with a personal information manager (PIM) 122 , an operating system (OS) 124 , and a call manager 126 .
- PIM personal information manager
- OS operating system
- the PIM 122 and the call manager 126 may be software stored in the memory 104 configured for execution by the processor 102 .
- the PIM 122 and the call manager 126 may be managed by the OS 124 .
- the PIM 122 and the call manager 126 are described as software modules, the PIM 122 and/or the call manager 126 may be implemented using various hardware circuits or a combination of hardware circuits and software.
- the PIM 122 is configured to manage a calendar database 124 .
- a user may establish various calendar entries 128 , which are stored in the calendar database 124 .
- a calendar entry may include a subject, a time, a place, various notes, and the like associated with an appointment, meeting, or the like.
- Some of the calendar entries 128 may be related to telephonic appointments, meetings, and the like (generally referred to as a “telephone meeting”).
- a telephone meeting with more than two participants is sometimes referred to as a conference call.
- Those calendar entries related to telephone meetings are referred to as call-related calendar entries.
- An exemplary call-related calendar entry 130 can include one or more telephone numbers 132 .
- the telephone number(s) 132 can be used to establish a call to join the associated telephone meeting. In some cases, more than one telephone number is provided, e.g., different telephone numbers for the telephone meeting may for international callers versus regional callers versus local callers and the like.
- the call-related calendar entry 130 can include one or more additional numbers 134 .
- the additional number(s) 134 may include number(s) to be entered after a call to one of the telephone number(s) has been established. For example, conference calls typically require one or more identifiers to be entered in order to join a conference (e.g., meeting identifiers, pass codes, etc.).
- FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting a method 200 for managing a call from a device according to some embodiments of the invention.
- the method 200 may be implemented by the call manager 126 in order to manage calls from the communication device for call-related calendar entries stored in the calendar database 124 .
- the method 200 is described with respect to the elements of the communication device 100 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the method 200 begins at step 202 , where the call manager 126 parses the calendar entries 128 in the calendar database 124 to detect call-related calendar entries.
- a call-related calendar entry may have many different forms generally represented by the call-related calendar entry 130 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the call manager 126 may be configured with various templates and/or rules enabling the detection of telephone number(s), pass code(s), meeting identifier(s), and the like (“call related information”). Having detected call-related information in a calendar entry, the call manager 126 can deem such calendar entry as a call-related calendar entry.
- the call manager 126 extracts a telephone number associated with each of the call-related calendar entries.
- the call manager 126 can detect and extract telephone numbers based on predefined telephone number formats, e.g., country code, area code, exchange, number, etc. If a call-related calendar entry includes multiple potential telephone numbers, the call manager 126 may either automatically select one of the potential telephone numbers or may solicit such a selection from the user. For example, in some embodiments, the call manager 126 can identify a locale from which the call will be made for the telephone meeting. The call manger 126 can obtain the locale from the OS 120 , for example. The call manager 126 can then select the telephone number from the potential telephone numbers based on the locale.
- the call manager 126 can display a list of the potential telephone numbers to the user via the display 114 . The user can then select an appropriate telephone number, such selection being received by the call manager 126 . In some embodiments, this user-based selection of the telephone number can take place within a temporal threshold of a meeting time established for the call-related calendar entry. For example, the user-based selection can occur concurrently with a visual and/or audible reminder generated by the PIM 122 for the call-related calendar entry.
- the call manager 126 extracts at least one additional number from one or more of the call-related calendar entries.
- a given call-related calendar entry may be for a conference call that requires a meeting identifier and/or pass code to be entered in order to join the meeting.
- the call manager 126 generates an invocator configured to cause the device 100 to dial the telephone number associated with a nearest call-related calendar entry that is within a temporal threshold of a current time maintained by the communication device 100 .
- the current time may be obtained from the OS 120 , for example.
- Step 206 may be repeated as call-related calendar entries come within the temporal threshold of the current time.
- the temporal threshold may be a threshold time before and/or after the current time.
- the invocator may be generated a number of minutes before a call-related calendar entry is scheduled to begin and/or a number of minutes after a call-related calendar entry was scheduled to have begun.
- the invocator is further configured to cause the device 100 to enter the additional number(s) after the call has been established if such call-related calendar entry includes such additional number(s).
- the invocator is a graphical user interface (GUI) element 118 configured to be shown on the display 114 .
- the GUI element 118 may be a button or the like that, when activated, causes the communication device 100 to dial the telephone number associated with a call-related calendar entry.
- the invocator is included in a reminder 116 that is visually displayed to the user on the display 114 for the call-related calendar entry.
- the PIM 122 may generate reminders for calendar entries as the start time approaches the current time. While the invocator 118 is shown as a GUI element, it is to be understood that the invocator may be a physical element on the device 100 , such as a physical button or the like.
- the invocator 118 may be graphically shown as an arrow pointing to the left and an arrow pointing to the right.
- the arrow pointing to the left if activated, may dial a telephone number for a nearest call-related calendar entry that is within temporal threshold before the current time.
- the arrow pointing to the right if activated, may dial a telephone number for a nearest call-related calendar entry that is within a temporal threshold after the current time.
- the invocator 118 may be a single button that, by default, dials a telephone number for a nearest call-related calendar entry that is within a temporal threshold before the current time.
- Such a single button when combined with a modifier (e.g., alt, control, shift, function, and like type keys), may instead dial a telephone number for a nearest call-related calendar entry that is within a temporal threshold after the current time.
- a modifier e.g., alt, control, shift, function, and like type keys
- the invocator 118 provides a convenient mechanism to dial a telephone number for a telephone meeting. This obviates the need for the user to manually obtain the telephone number from the calendar entry and manually enter the telephone number to make the call.
- the call manager 126 automatically analyzes calendar entries stored in the device in order to collect the relevant telephone numbers, and provides the invocator for use in dialing the telephone numbers without requiring manual entry of the telephone numbers.
- the call manager 126 can interact with the telephone module 110 in order to facilitate the dialing of the telephone number and optional entry of additional number(s) after the call.
- the telephone module 110 may have many implementations, depending on the implementation of the communication device 100 .
- the telephone module 110 may be a wireless telephone module configured to communicate with a wireless telephone network.
- the telephone module 110 may be a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) or the like type client configured to communicate over a packet network, such as the Internet.
- VOIP voice over internet protocol
- Program(s) of the program product defines functions of embodiments and can be contained on a variety of computer readable media, which include, but are not limited to: (i) information permanently stored on non-writable storage media (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM disks readable by a CD-ROM drive or a DVD drive); and (ii) alterable information stored on writable storage media (e.g., floppy disks within a diskette drive or hard-disk drive or read/writable CD or read/writable DVD).
- Such computer readable media when carrying computer-readable instructions that direct functions of the invention, represent embodiments of the invention.
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Abstract
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Claims (19)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US12/414,226 US8880048B1 (en) | 2009-03-30 | 2009-03-30 | Method and apparatus for managing calls for call-related calendar entries stored on a device |
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US12/414,226 US8880048B1 (en) | 2009-03-30 | 2009-03-30 | Method and apparatus for managing calls for call-related calendar entries stored on a device |
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US8880048B1 true US8880048B1 (en) | 2014-11-04 |
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US12/414,226 Expired - Fee Related US8880048B1 (en) | 2009-03-30 | 2009-03-30 | Method and apparatus for managing calls for call-related calendar entries stored on a device |
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- 2009-03-30 US US12/414,226 patent/US8880048B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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